No Guarantees
by Misfit Soul
Summary: Post 3.18.  Another way Burke and Cristina could have reconciled when Colin arrived.  Please read and review.  Disclaimer: I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Cristina woke up, completely tangled in Meredith's covers. She had tossed and turned all night, thinking about the engagement and Burke She missed the feeling of him holding her, the soft rhythm of his breathing. Would she, could she get that back after last night? Did she want to?

She thought she knew what she had wanted. It had taken her an entire week to decide after all, but now she wasn't so sure. Cristina wasn't so sure of anything anymore. Whatever, she couldn't do this right now.

Yawning, she crossed the room into the hall. She needed some coffee. Coffee solves everything. Then she tripped over clothes. What were people's clothes doing in the hall? Had Izzie and Evil Spawn got it on last night? The thought was slightly disgusting, but all the better for mocking, and mocking was almost as good as coffee.

Stifling snickers, Cristina pushed open Izzie's door. Bambi was naked in that bed, naked! She rushed out the room. Her eyes! Think of aortic valve replacements or standstill surgeries.

Meredith turned over, letting out a few snores. "You're a blanket hog."

"Yeah, well you snore."

"It's so early! Why are you up?"

"Bambi and Izzie are in bed, naked…together."

"What? But George is married to an heiress and he and Izzie aren't whatever… Are you sure?"

"Am I sure that I saw Bambi in bed with Izzie? It's a bit obvious… especially the naked part."

"I'm going to look. Maybe they just got drunk and fell into bed together," Meredith said.

"Naked? When has Bambi ever made smart sexual decisions?" Cristina looked pointedly at Meredith before heading for the bathroom. "I get the shower first. Make coffee after you stare in horror."

Half an hour later, Cristina headed downstairs following the alluring smell of coffee. Alex and Meredith had cups of coffee in their hands, eating last night's leftovers. Meredith glanced at Alex, and then stared at her. Message received.

"Where are Fetus and Izzie? We're gonna be late." Alex said.

"Whatever. I'm taking the bike there anyway." Cristina grabbed a travel mug and took her helmet. "I want a good case today."

She practically sprinted out the room. Meredith was not going to talk to her about Burke. She may be her person, but right now Cristina didn't want to deal with that. What she needed, now that she had coffee, was a complicated surgery in the OR.

Besides she didn't need to hear whimpers from Izzie and Bambi when they woke up.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This is another story I wrote a few months back. I just decided to post it here. Please read and review._

The Chief of Surgery had rescinded his decision to retire. I was rather disappointed. The office and the prestige and respect might have been nice, and the opportunity to needle dear Cristina would have kept me laughing until I became senile. But that position is no longer in my grasp. Perhaps I still had a chance with my other endeavor.

I strolled to the intern locker room. If I remembered anything about Cristina Yang, she never left early. There she was inside with only one other doctor. She had changed into normal clothes and looked as beautiful as she did back at Stanford. I should have never let her go, but she left without telling me. That had put a bit of a dent in my plan to propose to her for the sixth time.

"It will be small and non religious. I just want you there and you can bring McDreamy if you want." Who was this McDreamy? Cristina had always been fond of mcnaming people; perhaps he was another doctor. Regardless, what was this "it" she was referring to?

"So you're actually doing it? You, Cristina Yang, are walking down the whatever?" The other doctor seemed surprise and rightly so.

"No aisles at City Hall, Meredith." Hmmm, she was still marrying that man. Apparently I had not spread enough doubt.

"When?"

"We haven't decided. I just wanted to tell you cause you're my person and all." Person? Cristina never had people at Stanford. She hated people, mocked them, and enjoyed it.

"So you're really getting married?" I wanted to hear this answer. Cristina Yang thought marriage was for the weak, that it was a patriarchal tool and now she was marrying someone?

"Yeah I am." A smile broke out on her face, one I had never seen before not in three years.

The other doctor, Meredith, hugged her. Cristina never allowed acts of affection, but here she was with another woman hugging her and no resistance. In fact she was laughing, no giggling. Cristina never giggled with me, maybe sardonic chuckles but never giggles. She hugged her back.

I sat down, stunned. She laughed and hugged in Seattle. This was not the Cristina Yang I knew. The two of them exited the locker room, presumably to go home. I followed behind and saw Preston Burke waiting for her. They grasped each other's hands. Cristina had never held hands with me.

"Let's go home." She lived with him? Cristina had adamantly refused to live with me though I had asked her as many times as I proposed.

"I'm making chicken." He cooked for her. They lived together, shared an apartment together. She never shared anything with me, not even our keys. She leaned her head on his shoulder, another gesture she never gave to me.

I was Colin Marlow of the Marlow transplant. I had prestige and respect. I was more widely renowned than Preston Burke. I was older and had more to teach her than he could even dream of. I had a three year relationship with her! What did he have that I did not?

Then I realized something that Preston Burke had over me. I never truly had Cristina Yang because I never managed to infiltrate that bitter, cynical exterior. But Preston Burke had done something I had never been able to and now he had something I never had.

He had her, and I hated him for it. He had Cristina Yang and I could never compete, not with the way they were looking at each other or the casual affection they used. Never.

Preston Burke had her love.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Cristina pulled her hair into a tight bun, focusing on the simple tying of the scrub cap. Bailey was already inside with Colin. She could feel his eyes on her, that familiar smirk hidden beneath the mask. He unsettled her and he knew it. He knew that she hated losing control. Ass.

Bailey began her incision, narrating her actions. Colin had edged closer to Cristina, bit by bit. No fleeing this time. She would stay and do her job. Colin was not going to win. She had a person, no two persons, dammit.

"Retractor, Yang. So what do you think of the hospital, Dr. Marlowe?"

"The surgeons here appear to be very talented in and outside of their fields." Colin glanced at Cristina. "The competition will be fierce. It should be quite the challenge."

"Oh, so you've decided to join the hospital?" Cristina asked her voice cracking. Not good, not good at all.

"It's under consideration. One must take all factors before deciding after all." Colin's eyes glinted. "For example, I must get along with the doctors her or I shan't be able to enjoy my time."

Ass. If he came here, Burke might lose his spot as the head of cardio and his spot as Chief. What if Burke left for another hospital? What if he left her here with the ex who was ruining her impending marriage that she may or may not screw up herself?

Cristina inhaled the smell of the room, trying to calm down. Cristina Yang was in control; she had to be. The OR was the perfect place to think if only Colin wasn't staring her down. She clenched the retractor tighter. Bailey gave her a considering look.

Bailey had not been present for the ass-grabbing. But she was the Nazi. She knew everything that happened in the hospital…probably outside the hospital too. Bailey had ways. Cristina wanted to be like her when she was a resident.

"Dr. Marlowe, I believe Dr. Sloan has begun his surgery. Would you care to observe? I'm almost done here." Bailey prompted.

Colin nodded and left. He had never liked competition either. At least the position of chief seemed higher on his to-do list then messing with her head. She was grateful for the respite from his attentions. Another confrontation would be too much, even for the cold bitch she was.

After the surgery, she and Bailey were in the scrub room. She wanted to say thank you, but Bailey was the Nazi. But she couldn't, instead she just glanced over every now and then.

"You're welcome Yang."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Lunch. Lunch was a beautiful time. She never ate with Burke and he never looked for her. More time to think, more time to consider and Meredith would know to not ask her about it. Bambi and Alex were already at the table with Izzie. Hmmmm….Izzie seemed nervous, jumpy and George seemed hung over, but otherwise calm. Interesting.

"So how's McGrabAss? Or do you prefer McViagra, or maybe McEnglish? Hmmm Cristina," Izzie said in an overly bright voice. Cristina stared her down.

"So how was drinking last night?" Cristina countered.

"Yeah, you and George must have been really going at it," Meredith said. Meredith understood her so well. Bambi and Izzie were going to fess up whether they liked it or not.

"What," Izzie said in a panicked voice.

"All that laughing and the drunkenness? So have you two made up?"

"Yeah, we're good." George stated, still calm. Wait, did Bambi not know?

Cristina examined Izzie's face. She knew what she had done. She had the same look Meredith did with less guilt when she had slept with Bambi. George, however, was not whiny or pouting. He didn't know. He definitely was not aware of the fact that he had cheated on his wife. Or maybe he didn't care. Callie Iwas/I sitting with Addison.

How could he not care? He had just violated his vows. Precious Bambi with his moral superiority who had looked at her with contempt when Burke with his tremors didn't feel anything when cheating on his wife. Nothing? Even Alex had groveled when he slept with the syph nurse, and Alex was the ultimate manwhore.

Callie didn't know. That much was obvious. If Callie knew, Bambi would be in tiny pieces. Now she was only glaring at Izzie and the table in general. They had married so quickly, so soon after Bambi had joined the dead dad's club. Look at what marriage had done to them!

Now Burke wanted to enter into that ridiculous institution. He wanted the ceremony with the flautist and the string quartet and the catering and the white dress. Imagine what their mothers would do to her.

He wanted her to become Mrs. Dr. Preston Burke. She didn't want that, not at all. Papers were nothing. Rings were nothing. Actions were everything. She had agreed to make him happy, to take away that sad look in his eyes. She didn't need his ceremony or any of that. Cristina needed Burke's happiness. Why couldn't he understand?

She had told him she was sticking, in it for the long haul. That still wasn't enough. Maybe he was right. Maybe she shouldn't be marrying him to placate him. Maybe this entire engagement was doomed. Maybe she would destroy it with Colin lifting a finger.

Cristina didn't want to believe any of it, but what if all of this was true?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

It was just her and Meredith at the table. When had that happened? No, no Meredith had that look in her eyes, the same one from the closet yesterday. This did not bode well.

"So you just had surgery with Cardio God? How was that?" Starting innocent, that was her strategy.

"Meredith, no. No talking about Colin Marlowe." Cristina sounded firm.

"Fine. Callie doesn't know. Neither does George. But Izzie's nervous."

"She'll crack and be on the bathroom floor by the end of the day, assuming she survives." She'd pay to be there when Callie found out.

"You know that makes four of us. Four people he's slept with." Izzie, Mere, the syph nurse and Callie. What was next on his list, an attending?

"Wow, Bambi gets around. Inappropriate sex must be his thing." Cristina smirked. This was a safe subject.

"This time he's married. He married her and he just cheated on her. Even drunkenly, it still counts." It did count. More proof that marriage meant nothing. Papers and vows were nothing.

"I know. Apparently that til death do you part line didn't mean so much. See that's what I mean. Marriage is for the weak."

"Cristina, you're getting married!"

"Burke doesn't want to. He thinks I'm placating him. What's wrong with wanting to make him happy?"

"But will you be happy if you get married?" Meredith looked concerned now.

"I don't need the papers. I have Burke and I'm sticking. But….wait that was good Meredith. Nice change of subject. But I win. So no more talking about Burke or my engagement." Cristina almost grinned. She had caught Meredith. When was she ever going to learn that Cristina was the best?

"You need to figure this out Cristina." Cristina glared. "What? You do…unless you want to continue listening to my snoring."

"Besides Derek may eventually want to sleep in my bed again."

"Well, McDreamy can wait. I have a crisis. Let him do the whole elevator thing for a while." Meredith laughed, making Cristina laugh too.

Meredith grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her chair. Lunch was over and they both had patients. Back to work. Cristina wanted to drown out the questions in her head with work and patients and even sutures sounded good right now.

Cristina sighed; maybe the issue could be put to rest for a while. She just needed time to think. Time to reconsider her options. It had taken her eight days to say yes, so he could wait again. She needed him to wait and she needed Colin to leave.

"I just can't deal with this right now."

"Okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**  
**

**Chapter 6**

Cristina spent the afternoon doing post op notes and working in the clinic. It was ho-hum but men-free. Nice and peaceful. It had given her time to think. She knew what she had to do now. Only another hour until she could go home.

Cristina grinned to herself. She was happy, practically cheerful. It felt odd, but in a good way. Then around the corner she heard voices, one in particular that she did not want to deal with. Colin was between her and food. Ass.

"Dr. Marlowe, may I speak with you a moment?" Wait, was that Meredith?

"Hmmm? Why yes of course. Asking me about my ten year plan for your boyfriend? Or would you like to hear stories about my surgeries?" Pompous ass. "I'm always willing to share my experience with naïve interns."

"Actually no. I wanted to talk to you about Cristina…Dr. Yang."

"Oh, is she using you to set up some tryst? I knew no man could make an honest woman of her. In fact—" Cristina could imagine the smarmy smile that had to be plastered across Colin's face right now.

"Dr. Marlowe, you misunderstand. I'm not setting up anything. I want you to leave her alone. I want you to go away back to Stanford or whatever and leave her and Dr. Burke alone."

"Why in the world would I do that? I have an interview and this game has been quite fun."

"Okay. Listen up. Cristina is happy. She is my person, my family and you…you are not going to screw up that happiness. Cristina can be very bitchy when she's bitter and you are not helping that."

"How dare you! I am—"

"Cardio God I know. Right now you're the person who's trying to screw up her engagement. You're making her unhappy and now she's sleeping in my bed. Not that I mind, but my boyfriend minds and anyways…you know what Burke makes her happy. He gives her coffee and cooks for her. What do you do? Grab her ass in front of everyone?" Meredith was on a tirade now. She sounded a bit like Bailey which was disturbing on many, many levels.

"Preston Burke is a young upstart and I am Colin Marlowe. I can teach her more than he ever can. She loves having a mentor and a teacher."

Before Meredith could argue, she rounded the corner. "I don't need you to teach me Ianything/I Colin. I'm not in it for the education. I'm marrying him so there is nothing for you here because you're not getting Chief and you're certainly not getting me." Meredith grinned while Marlowe practically fled the scene.

"So I guess that means you're not staying at my place tonight?"

"Again at the youth hostel? No thank you."

"You decided. That's good. Now you can be bright and shiny and I can be your maid of honor." Cristina just stared. There must have been crack in the water when she drowned. "Fine. No ugly dresses for me then."

"You'll be my person."

"I already am."

"I know, but just so you know too." Cristina turned to leave. She didn't even feel hungry anymore.

She was going home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Her key turned in the knob with a slight rattling sound. Cristina could smell the food inside. Burke had cooked like he always did. She took a deep breath and walked inside to find Burke at the stove. He didn't even look at her.

His posture was stiff and angry. Was this another silent treatment? Would he even listen to her? She stood there and watched him, the abrupt movements of his body, so lacking in his usual grace. Yet his back still faced her even though he had to know that she was there.

"Hey Burke."

He turned, giving her one of those intense looks before folding his arms and leaning into the counter. "Why aren't you at Meredith's?"

"I live here. This is my home. Besides Meredith snores." Cristina wanted to come closer, to touch him, but that probably wasn't a good idea at this point.

"Well, you weren't home last night." He paused. "Are you here to pack up your stuff?"

"Wait, you…you think I'm breaking up with you?" He could be such an idiot sometimes.

"You don't want to get married to me. You just found my teaching abilities and by the end of your residency, I won't have much to teach you. You'll leave me then just like you left Marlowe. And you Cristina are remarkably efficient. Why not end this early so you can find the next surgeon to collect?" His words were laced with bitterness, but his eyes, they were the worst. The hurt she saw in them; the hurt she knew she had caused was ripping into her.

"Burke!" She came a step closer. "Marriage doesn't…I mean...there's no guarantees. George is married to Callie and he slept with Izzie."

"What? Why?"

"That's not my point. Bambi cheated on his wife, the woman he's married to. Burke, marriage doesn't mean anything—"

"See, Cristina this is why you shouldn't have said yes if you feel that way."

"Let me finish. Marriage doesn't mean anything unless you're ready. George rushed in. It was too fast and he did it with his rebound girl. George was stupid. George is stupid. He doesn't think things through." She took another step toward him. Why couldn't he understand?

"I thought about it and I said yes. Why isn't that enough for you?"

"I don't want you placating me. You clearly don't want a marriage."

"I'm not placating you. This isn't about you teaching me. I told you that I am in this for the long haul. I'm sticking. I want to make you happy and a marriage would make you happy."

"But Iyou/I don't want to get married." She wasn't explaining this very well. Her plan was not flowing as smoothly as she had hoped.

"Burke, I used to think marriage was for the weak, for girls who stayed at home and became soccer moms. That's not me and it will never be me. I'm not the girl that swoons over wedding dresses and rings. I don't need any of that to be happy." She paused and looked him full in the eye. He had to understand this. "You being happy makes me happy. I—"

"But you need to want to marry me or this won't work. It won't work at all."

"Stop interrupting! Seriously, Burke just listen to me." She reached a hand toward his face. "The ceremony and the vows mean nothing, absolutely nothing because they can't guarantee anything…not unless you want commitment and you're in love. And I love you. I don't need the quartets and the catering, and the white dress. I could get married in scrubs in the hospital because either way I am staying with you because I love you." He started to say something and she hushed him.

"So we're getting married. It won't be religious. I know you're spiritual, but no religion. And it has to be small. I just want Meredith there and you can invite your friends too, but small." He was grinning now and then he leaned in and his kissed her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace.

"You're marrying me?" She could tell he needed more confirmation.

"Yeah, Burke. I'm marrying you."

"Because you want to?"

She looked at him again and kissed him. "Because I love you."

_Fin_


End file.
